Page 318 - Revised Unified Sports Curriculum electronic version Rev. 8.1_2

FOOTBALL

SPORT RULES

1. GOVERNING RULES
The Official Special Olympics Sports Rules for Football (Soccer) shall govern all Special Olympics
competitions. As an international sports program, Special Olympics has created these rules based upon
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rules for football (soccer) found at
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame.html FIFA or National Governing Body (NGB) rules
shall be employed except when they are in conflict with the Official Special Olympics Sports Rules for
Football (Soccer) or Article I. In such cases, the Official Special Olympics Sports Rules for Football (Soccer)
shall apply.

An athlete with Down syndrome who has been diagnosed with Atlanto-axial Instability may not participate
in football (soccer) events.

Refer to Article 1, http://media.specialolympics.org/resources/sports-essentials/general/2014-Article-I.pdf,
for more information pertaining to Codes of Conduct, Training Standards, Medical and Safety
Requirements, Divisioning, Awards, Criteria for Advancement to Higher Levels of Competition, and Unified
Sports.

2. OFFICIAL EVENTS
The range of events is intended to offer competition opportunities for athletes of all abilities. Programs
may determine the events offered and, if required, guidelines for the management of those events.
Coaches are responsible for providing training and event selection appropriate to each athlete’s skill and
interest.
The following is a list of official events available in Special Olympics:
Individual Skills Competition (ISC)
5-a-side Team (outdoor)
7-a-side Team (outdoor)
11-a-side Team Competition according to FIFA rules
Futsal Competition according to FIFA rules
®
Unified Sports 5-a-side Team Competition
Unified Sports 7-a-side Team Competition
Unified Sports 11-a-side Team Competition

3. DIVISIONING
Teams may be divisioned based on the Team Skill Assessment found in Section D of these rules, a
Prior Divisioning Form based on the SOEE Divisioning DVD, or a prior Divisioning/Team Rating form
approved by the Program, and by an on-site classification round.
In the classification rounds, teams will play a minimum of two evaluation games of at least eight
minutes (5-a-side), eight minutes (7-a-side) or fifteen minutes (11-a-side).
The Divisioning Committee shall ensure that all goalkeepers are adequately assessed.

4. GENERAL RULES AND MODIFICATIONS
5-A-Side Football

4 VERSION: June 2016
© Special Olympics, Inc., 2016
All rights reserved